He’s the world’s highest-paid soccer player: a forward on the Spanish club Real Madrid, and captain of the Portuguese national team. His super-toned body is featured in a series of advertisements, and he’s regularly seen with a supermodel on his arm. So would it surprise you to know that it took a bit of dental work to help Cristiano Ronaldo get a world-class smile?

You might never guess it to look at him now — but when he was 18 years old, and just starting his professional career with Manchester United in England, Ronaldo wore ceramic braces to correct a set of teeth that were quite a bit… off-sides. (As pictures from that time show, his teeth were out of alignment and had irregular spacing.) Yet in a relatively short time, his smile was completely transformed.

Ceramic braces are the treatment of choice for many sports stars and celebrities — and plenty of “regular” folks too. They work just like traditional all-metal braces, exerting a gentle force that slowly moves the teeth into better positions. But they have one major difference: They’re a good deal harder to notice.

That’s because instead of having brackets made of metal, this style of braces uses a high-tech ceramic material to attach the archwire to the teeth. The brackets blend right in with the natural shade of the tooth, so all you can see from a distance is the thin metal wire. That makes them a great orthodontic option for image-conscious celebs (like Tom Cruise and Faith Hill, who both wore them) — as well as anyone who may be concerned that traditional metal braces don’t fit in with their “look”.

In addition to ceramic braces, there are other, less-visible orthodontic treatments that can work just as well in many situations. One is lingual braces, which are similar to traditional braces — except they are applied on the tongue-side of the teeth, making them truly invisible. Another is clear aligners, a series of transparent plastic trays that are worn 22 hours a day and gradually move the teeth into more pleasing positions. What’s the best way to know which system is right for you? Come in and talk to us about your options!

Besides braces, did Cristiano Ronaldo have other cosmetic dental work (like teeth whitening) done? It’s possible, but he’s not saying exactly. Yet, as he told a Portuguese magazine, “I feel good about myself and that’s the most important thing.”